A MODERN ADDITION TO THE PALACE OF AIETE |

A MODERN ADDITION TO THE PALACE OF AIETE

Deep in the gardens of the Palace of Aiete is a new, half buried, addition to the historical estate. In San Sebastian, architectural firm Isuuru built the modern addition which adds remarkable artistic merit and historical value to the property. Isuuru explains:

“The project was to find the balance between program needs and possibilities of the Palace. Balance that would maintain the “essential nature” of the pre-existence, decoding and making it as understandable. The key action was to place the Human Rights Institute of the main floors of the palace ground and first place value on the clarity of the spatial structure, decorations and representative character of the rooms of the palace. On the second floor, destined to serve in his previous use of the Palace, are situated the exhibition areas and workshops of the culture house, connecting to the new building, half buried by the stairwell of service.”

Isuuru did an excellent job of created a dynamic and sculptural building within the existing space. We see numerous architectural projects where the juxtaposition of classical and modern structures come together to re-create a magical feeling in a single existing environment, this seems to be a constant debate in the design industry.

Though opinions may differ, we think this is a fantastic example of the progression of art. Every generation has a duty to leave their mark on this planet. When the Palace of Aiete was created, it was those architects who were leaving their stamp in Spain. Now, today’s architects are leaving their stamp, and hopefully, the architects of our children will bring their vision as well. What do you think?